Leavers work in the trash

[ozydave]

Getting rid of some rubbish from the office today. Looks like some of the teachers have had a clear out.

These big green skip bins were packed to the rafters.

I grabbed a hand full, everyone had a students name and form number on. This bin was for mixed recycling.

 

Should I be worried about about personal identifiable information on these bits of paper in terms of GDPR?

[newpersn]

Should be in shedit bags.

 

Anything with names on should go for shedding.

 

I would report it.

[Ditto]

Well, GDPR is not here yet, but I would say most likely YES under current regulations. As with most of this sort of thing, the biggest issue is educating the staff and getting the seriousness of the requirements understood.

[Hedgehog13]

Hampshire Council were fined £100k for something very similar when personal information was found in waste being dumped...that was under the DPA, so 20% of the maximum fine was imposed. Wouldn't want a school to have to pay that, or worse - 20% of the 20m Euro max under GDPR...

[3s-gtech]

We've had the policy of 'anything with student names on gets shredded' for many years - this is more DPA than GDPR. Report it, get SLT to email out. If that means staff have to sift through their waste so be it!

[Oddbod]

Yep, report it…

Schools aren't the only places falling foul of the new data protection rules…

[ozydave]

Cheers for the replies.

I've had conversations, sent emails etc.

But have a feeling no one will listen till fines start coming in [emoji106]

[elsiegee40]

1. Moved to Data Protection forum

 

2. Yes your school is breaching current data protection regs never mind GDPR and its mahoosive fine coming up next year.

 

Work should be stored securely as appropriate/ necessary then shredded or given to the students to take home. It's their problem then!

[enjay]

Okay, I get this is wrong, but why? We put work with student names on up on the walls and we name students in news items on our website. What's different?

[GrumbleDook]

Okay, I get this is wrong, but why? We put work with student names on up on the walls and we name students in news items on our website. What's different?

 

The work is on open display for staff, students and regulated visitors (all visitors to a school must be authorised and controlled). The selection of that work by staff select appropriate work ... it is unlikely that an item where a student talks about what they did at the weekend would appear on the wall.

When dumping work, it means you no longer have control over it. It can be seen by anyone who raids the rubbish. That means that should a student make a disclosure when writing in an exercise book and it gets out into the outside world ... then that is a clear breach of the DPA.

 

Without sifting through all work it is hard to pin point any problematic materials, so risk management comes into play and you destroy it all securely.

[enjay]

Ah yes, I see the point. Thanks.